ASSISTANT ACADEMIC RESEARCH CONSULTANT (INTERN)

Prime Research Consultant is looking for a skilled, dependable Academic Research Consultant to join our team. We support postgraduate students, academics and organisations with research guidance, data analysis and scholarly writing support, and we hold ourselves to strict standards of academic integrity.

Location: Lusaka, Zambia, or remote Employment type: Full-time, part-time or contract Reports to: Lead Consultant / Managing Director Application deadline: 30/09/2026

About the role You will guide clients through the full research process, from shaping a research problem to presenting defensible findings. The role calls for sound methodological knowledge, clear communication, and the discipline to deliver quality work on tight timelines. Graduates with a relevant degree and hands-on research experience are encouraged to apply.

Key responsibilities

Advise clients on research design, objectives, hypotheses and methodology (quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods) Support the development of research proposals, literature reviews and conceptual or theoretical frameworks Help design questionnaires, interview guides and sampling strategies, and advise on piloting, reliability and validity Analyse data using statistical and qualitative software, and help clients interpret results accurately Review chapters, manuscripts and journal articles and give constructive, actionable feedback Make sure work meets institutional formatting, referencing (APA, Harvard, etc.) and ethical requirements, including similarity checks Prepare clients for proposal and viva or defence presentations Deliver short training sessions on research methods and academic writing Meet agreed deadlines and keep client information confidential

Qualifications and experience

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (business, social sciences, public health, education, engineering, law or similar) as a minimum; a Master's degree or PhD is an added advantage At least 3 years' experience in academic research, university teaching, research supervision or research consultancy Proficiency in SPSS, Stata, R or Excel, and in NVivo or similar for qualitative analysis Strong academic writing and critical review skills, with experience using Zotero, Mendeley or EndNote Publications in peer-reviewed journals are an advantage Familiarity with postgraduate research requirements of Zambian and regional universities is an advantage

Skills and attributes

Excellent written and spoken English Meticulous attention to detail Ability to manage several projects and deadlines at once Integrity, discretion and professionalism Comfortable working with digital tools and remotely

What we offer

Competitive, performance-based pay A steady flow of varied research projects across disciplines Flexible working arrangements Room for professional growth and collaboration on publications and training